Mike Comrie goes from the frying pan to the Flames tonight as he slips into Edmonton Oilers colours again for the first time since his controversial departure in 2003.

Comrie will play on the second line with Ryan Stone and Patrick O'Sullivan as Edmonton begins the pre-season at the Saddledome in Calgary.

"It's exciting, there's a lot at stake here," said Comrie, who signed a one-year, $1.125M contract a few days before training camp opened. "Pre-season goes pretty quick, you have to get your timing and gel with the players."

He's psyched that the first opponent in his second go round with the Oilers happens to be Calgary.

"Of course, there's so much history and tradition between the two teams," said Comrie, who's no stranger to NHL rivalries, having played for Ottawa in the Battle of Ontario and for the Islanders against the Rangers.

"In my situation, coming back, I couldn't have asked for a better place to start out. I have a lot of respect for that organization."

It could be a physical contest, given that Edmonton has Zack Stortini and Kip Brennan together on the fourth line and JF Jacques also in the lineup.

"I haven't made the team, so I'm going in there to impress the brass and the coaches," said Brennan, a six-foot-four, 222 pounder who had 104 minutes in 25 games last season, mostly with AHL Hershey.

"That's part of my job. I'm sure there will be guys out there looking for it, being in the same situation as me, going out there and looking to impress their coaches as well. I'll probably be the guy they're looking at to get something started tonight."

Which suits him fine.

"Exhibition is pretty fun, it's a little bit looser, guys are trying to impress their coaches and trying to make a name for themselves. I definitely want to get the first one in sooner than later and I'm sure they'll dress tough guys who want to do the same."